In the original parent Application, claims were obtained on the arbor press with extender, including methods. This Application will focus on the improved image forming apparatus, toner cartridge that fits into an image forming apparatus, contact device and methods also described in the Application. The reason all devices and methods were entered in the same Application is because originally the Arbor Press, Extender and Methods were invented for the purpose of press-fitting the original electrobushing""s contact device embodiment of this invention. However, it was found that the Arbor Press, extender and methods embodiments are pioneer patent in many industries without limit and inventor did not want to limit it to the imaging industry as it has usefulness in so many industries. This continuation-in-part, however, concerns the improved laser printer, copier machine, facsimile machine, toner cartridges used therein, image forming apparatus, contact devices, scraper device, endseals, magnetic seals, spacers that set the space between the developer roller and the photoreceptor, other contacts and methods thereof. It should be pointed out here that this patent discloses new and improved devices that have a specific function, but also function in the electrical chain of components supplying the bias voltage to a developer roller, including but not limited to a bushing that aligns the developer roller end bushing for truer rotation, a developer roller scraper device used to scrape toner near the endfelts to minimize or prevent leakage, a developer roller endseal, a developer roller magnetic seal, a device for controlling the space between a developer roller and a photoreceptor, and a device for controlling the position of the developer roller""s drive gear.
This invention relates to solving problems in Xerography and more specifically in the toner cartridge remanufacturing industry. This includes copiers, laser printers, facsimile machines, microfiche machines and sublimation toner imaging devices all which will be referred to as imaging machines. This invention also relates to the industrial machinery industry.
CANON has designed an all-in-one cartridge as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,744, issued Dec. 4, 1990 and assigned to CANON. Several companies have used these cartridges in laser printers, copy machines and facsimile machines, each with the varying printer engines and a different nameplate. Originally, these cartridges were designed to be xe2x80x9cdisposablexe2x80x9d. However, after the first all-in-one toner cartridge was introduced, it did not take long before laser cartridge remanufacturers such as inventors began remanufacturing these cartridges. These xe2x80x9cdisposablexe2x80x9d cartridges were designed to function for only one cartridge cycle without remanufacturing for higher profits. The remanufacturers had found certain components that needed replacement on a regular basis. In 1990, the first aftermarket photoreceptor drum became available for use in remanufacturing the all-in-one cartridge of the xe2x80x9cSXxe2x80x9d engine variety, the most popular printer cartridge from around 1987 through 1993. When the long-life photoreceptor drum became available, the entire remanufacturing industry gained strength and credibility as a huge growth surge began that still continues. In October 1993, HEWLETT-PACKARD, the largest seller of this printer engine using the all-in-one cartridge, entered the cartridge remanufacturing industry with the xe2x80x9cOPTIVAxe2x80x9d cartridge, further increasing the size as well as credibility of this relatively new industry although this OPTIVA program was eventually discontinued. However, this relatively new industry grew from the all-in-one cartridge shortly after its debut in 1985. Before the introduction of the long-life drum, sometimes called the xe2x80x9csuperdrumxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cduradrumxe2x80x9d, the SX cartridge would last for around three cartridge remanufacturing cycles at best, since the actual useful life of the OEM drum was three cycles. However, the long-life drums got their names from the fact that they were designed to last for many remanufacturing cycles or recharges as they are sometimes called. Typically, the early versions of the long life drum lasted for ten or more such cycles, unlike the typical OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) drum. With the additional developments of drum coatings, originally designed for OEM drums, the long-life drum may last for many additional cycles. Some coatings, in theory, were designed to be dissolved and removed from over the drum surface every 1-3 cycles, so the drum life of the long-life drum may be much longer than both the original design life of the OEM drum and the aftermarket drum.
However, with photoreceptor drums lasting for many cycles, other components of the cartridge have a tendency to require greater durability or design life. Also, as the success of the cartridges has been positive, the demand is for cartridges with longer cycles, so component improvements are significant. Therefore, avoiding natural problems with prevention means must also be implemented for cartridges of longer life both in longer cycle times and greater number of cycles. One good example is the electrical contact used in many developer rollers of toner cartridge assemblies. The advancements in technology of the laser printers and toner cartridges may be applied in other parts of the imaging industry including copy machines, facsimile machines, all-in-one machines, multi-function machines, microfiche machines, sublimation printers (for t-shirt iron-ons, mugs and other printing and copying where the final output winds up transferred from the page), and for many applications in the imaging industry.
Inventor was awarded U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,634,175 and 5,648,838, pioneer patents for electrical contacts for developer roller assemblies. Much of what is manufactured today uses things from that patent. To properly install an electrical contact from the above patents in the most robust way, one would want to press-fit the contact into the inner wall of the developer roller. It sounds simple. However, you can not just get an arbor press and press fit the contacts because arbor presses have a very short maximum press-fit height. Most arbor presses look alike, just that some are bigger and more powerful than the others, among the most common arbor presses. However, a xc2xd ton arbor press has a 4 inch height and a one ton press is not much higher, a two ton press is not much higher and even a 5 ton arbor press typically is not very high. To press-fit contacts into developer rollers, most developer rollers are over ten inches long and even an expensive 5 ton arbor press, much greater in weight and power than necessary, is not long enough to press-fit all sizes of developer rollers. In another example, the WX (5Si) developer roller is over 18 inches long and would not even fit in a 5 ton arbor press in the typical case. To solve this problem, inventor has developed an arbor press extender device to lengthen the maximum press length that an arbor press may press. Thus, with this invention, even a small xc2xd ton arbor press may be used for press-fitting an electrical contact on a long developer roller sleeve. With the extender device of this invention, there is no limit in the maximum allowable press length that may be pressed with an arbor press, and thus, a small xc2xd ton arbor press with the extender device of this invention may press a part of a greater length than a large 5 ton arbor press without the extender device of this invention which saves a lot of money.
An electrobushing will be introduced that is a bushing for truing rotational motion of a developer roller while at the same time acting as an electrically contacting device. This simplifies number of parts and makes a stronger connection and thus may obsolete the use of spring with contact.
Accordingly, it is object of this invention to show an improved image forming system including but not limited to an improved laser printer, copy machine, facsimile machine or microfiche machine.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved toner cartridge used in an image forming system or image forming apparatus.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved toner hopper used in either a toner cartridge or an image forming apparatus including components that make a better toner hopper.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved image forming apparatus that uses an antistatic toner cartridge by using conductive materials in the plastic casings of the toner hopper and waste toner hopper.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved toner cartridge made to be antistatic by using conductive materials in the plastic.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved contact receiving device that not only improves rotational trueness of developer rollers, but also is a link in the electrical contact""s connection, thus making an improved toner cartridge and improved image forming apparatus.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved contact receiving device to improve rotational trueness of developer rollers.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved contact device to improve electrical contact of developer rollers.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved contact device that uses a shaft collar or similar device on an electrical contact where a coil spring or leaf spring is contacted to the shaft collar where either type of spring optionally has a graphite insert, similar to graphite inserts of an electrical motor.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved contact device to improve electrical contact of developer rollers using a C-clip, e-clip or any other similar fastener, positioned on a piece that goes into a slot on a developer roller sleeve or on a contact connected inside a developer roller bore in conjunction with a coil spring with or without a washer-like piece pressed against the C-Clip or similar clip.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved contact device to improve electrical contact of developer rollers using a sliding ring that goes into a slot on a developer roller sleeve or on an endpiece contact connected to a developer roller in conjunction with a coil spring with or without a washer-like piece pressed against the sliding ring.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show an improved contact device to improve electrical contact of developer rollers using a shaft collar or similar device over a developer roller sleeve in conjunction with a coil spring, flat spring, any form of spring whatsoever, or graphite insert with or without any form of coil spring.
It is an further object of this invention to show a scraper device that electrically contacts the developer roller while it scrapes toner from the developer roller at or near the endseal of the developer roller.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved scraper insert that is used to repair worn scrapers.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved module for scraping a developer roller at or near the endseal that does not require alignment pegs molded into the scraper holder.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved module for scraping a developer roller at or near the endseal that does not use an injection molded plastic and a method of manufacturing this module.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved endseal of a toner hopper that involves making electrical contact with the developer roller.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved magnetic endseal of a toner hopper that uses a material on inside or outside of the magnetic endseal that is foam, velvet or where the material is placed on the inside or outside surface of the magnetic seal by flocking the magnetic endseal either completely or on specific surfaces.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved magnetic endseal of a toner hopper as above where the flock material is made conductive and the magnetic endseal may then be used as a developer roller electrical contact.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved magnetic endseal of a toner hopper as above where the flock material is made conductive or antistatic so that toner will not stick to it.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved primary charge roller assembly (PCR).
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved primary charge roller assembly with an improved device and method of making electrical contact with the primary charge roller assembly to supply electricity to the primary charge roller.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved PCR contact device and method where a two-pronged wire is locked in place in the PCR assembly either locked under the coil spring or over the coil spring and where the device has either a partial circle, hairpin shape or a v-shape at the base of the contact device.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved PCR contact device and method using a coil spring with a straight piece of unitary with the spring that makes contact with the shaft of the PCR, the unicorn contact.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved PCR contact device and method where a thin metal piece is cut and formed with 2 prongs to make contact with the PCR.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved developer roller contact device and method where a two-pronged wire is locked in place in a developer roller assembly either locked under a coil spring or over the coil spring and where the device has either a partial circle, hairpin shape or a v-shape or diamond shape at the base of the contact device.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved developer roller contact device and method using a coil spring with a straight piece of unitary with the spring that makes contact with the endpiece contact of the developer roller.
It is an further object of this invention to show an improved developer roller contact device and method where a thin metal piece is cut and formed which has 2 prongs to make contact with the endpiece contact of the developer roller.
It is an further object of this invention to show a conversion device whereby a primary charge roller made for a specific toner cartridge style A may be used in toner cartridge for style B when the primary charge roller (PCR) style A is too short to normally use in a style B toner cartridge.
It is an further object of this invention to show an arbor press extender device to increase the length that a press-fit may be performed.
It is a further object of this invention to show an arbor press extender with modular fixtures and fixture holders that receive each end of the developer roller including an electrical contact that may be press-fit.
It is still a further object of this invention to show an arbor press extender with fixtures that receive each end of the developer roller including an electrical contact that may be press-fit.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show modular fixtures to fit into fixture holders to allow quick change from one type of press-fit to be performed to another with minimal set-up time between press-fit styles and sizes.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show quick snap-on/snap-off fixtures and fixture holders for quick connect/quick disconnect of fixtures to fixture holders where fixtures may be held firmly in place without falling off the fixture holder using the concept used in quick connect air hose connections.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show modular fixture holders and fixtures for press fitting applications that quickly install and uninstall using air-hose quick-connect couplers and nipples.
It is yet a further object of this invention to show modular fixture holders and fixtures for press fitting applications that quickly install and uninstall using a small piece of hose in the bore of the fixture module to make a tight yet removable quick connection.
In carrying out this invention in the illustrative embodiment thereof, an arbor press is equipped with an extender device to increase the maximum allowable part length that may be press ed. This not only eliminates the need for using a larger press by allowing a smaller press to be used for pressing long parts, which also saves money, but some parts which may be too long to fit on a much larger arbor press may now be pressed on a small arbor press. Modular quick-connect/quick-disconnect fixtures may be used to fit in fixture holders for holding firm different types of parts and different styles of developer rollers which may now be press-fit using this extender device of this invention. With this extender device, even extremely long parts may be press-fit economically which opens new doors for applications using arbor presses in many industries as a result of this invention. Even an adjustable length arbor press extender may be used for variable extender length for multiple applications with one extender device. An electrobushing is a bushing that conducts electricity to a developer roller in a toner cartridge which is a component of an image forming apparatus or directly in an image forming apparatus for improved toner efficiency, darker print, more even print and an improved system. Various electrical contact device configurations and methods are described for contacting primary charge rollers, developer rollers and photoreceptor drums. It should be pointed out here that this patent discloses new and improved devices that have a specific function, but also function in the electrical chain of components supplying the bias voltage to a developer roller, including but not limited to a bushing that aligns the developer roller end bushing for truer rotation, a developer roller scraper device used to scrape toner near the endfelts to minimize or prevent leakage, a developer roller endseal, a developer roller magnetic seal, a device for controlling the space between a developer roller and a photoreceptor, and a device for controlling the position of the developer roller""s drive gear.